The Future Of Cities

Timetable

Time:  each Monday at 2 pm till 3:30 pm starting from March 7th (second week of the summer semester), there are 10 lectures altogether.

room 2.1 Coll. Iuridicum Novum

Each lecture lasts 1,5 hour (two academic hours - 2x45 minutes)

Module aim (aims)

The aim of this module is to familiarize students with future city visions, roles, functions and the main opporrtunities and challenges facing cities where over 66 per cent of the world’s population will live by 2050. The students should understand better the possible impacts of various trends/factors such as  globalization, metropolization, internalization, digitalization, climate change, pandemic and aging. They should be able to analyze city functioning and development by combining  the economic, social, environmental, spatial and governance aspects   The course also provides information on current changes in city management aimed at ensuring better effectiveness and citizens engagement. It examines new sources of local economic development and the evolution of urban economy. The course helps to recognize  factors determining quality of life and the use of city space with the ambition to inspire students to contribute to making cities a better place to live.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

none

Syllabus

1. Learning content description
Urbanization – present situation and trends Changing role of cities Types of contemporary cities
Definitions and meanings of a city The changing concepts of a city (from garden cities to smart cities) Interpretations of future cities by different stakeholders
Process of globalization The benefits and threats of globalization Stages and strategies of global fluency
The emergence and the role of Functional Urban Areas Urban sprawl Integration, cooperation, delimitation and governance in metropolitan area The role of core city and regional/national government
The role of leadership in shaping future cities Types of leadership and decision making models
Trends and challenges influencing future local governance Collaborative management and citizens participation Importance of social capital
Demographic challenges Social cohesion, integration, aging society
Evolution of an urban economy Local economic growth determinants Sources of future cities competitiveness
Sustainable and resilient city development Qualities of resilient systems
Quality of Life concepts, choice of indicators and its impact on policy making

 

 

 

2. Assessment criteria

 

 

 

Academic essay on the subject “The best city to live” – 100%

 

 

 

The essay should be based on the knowledge the students acquire during the lectures combined with individual preferences and include the description of the ideal city of the future the student would feel comfortable to spent his life in (subjective approach)

 

 

 

Deadline – the last day of classes in the semester

 

 

 

 Essential elements required for all essays:

 

1. Relevance: it directly answers the question

 

1. Understanding of the topic

 

1. Evidence of the use of appropriate material (e.g. books, journal articles, etc.)

 

1. Organisation of material into a coherent structure: introduction, argument and evidence, conclusion

 

1. Clear style, including accurate spelling, clear sentence construction and punctuation

 

1. References

 

1. Bibliography

 

1. Use of own words, except where directly quoting from another source

 

1. Language: avoidance of inappropriate slang, racist or sexist language

 

1. 8 standard pages (1800 characters per page) excluding references and bibliography

 

 The following features are deemed to be evidence of quality

 

1. Evaluation and analysis of a wide range of material and sources

 

1. Broad description of an ideal city including different perspectives (social, economic, spatial, environmental, managerial)

 

1. Ability to understand and to discuss critically abstract ideas, theories and concepts

 

1. Argument - well formulated, substantiated, and with evidence of critical, independent, and personal thought

 

 Grading:

 

 

 

Excellent (5,0)  – an Excellent essay will typically demonstrate excellence in the following: accurate integration of a wide range of material and resources, high level of critical analysis and independent judgement, quality of arguments in response to the questions, wide range of sources fully and accurately identified, originality of exposition or treatment in addition to incorporating all of the elements required of all essays (above)

 

 

 

Good (4,5; 4,0) -  there will be good use of some of the features of the Excellent essay, although several elements will be only partially realised. Thus, for example, a typical Good essay will display some independent thought (e.g. through the use of original examples), but may have uneven coverage of relevant issues, with some explored in more detail than others, may lack sustained conceptual analysis, tending to accept uncritically the principal arguments in an area. It will include most of the elements required of all essays, but not all - for example, there may be some confusion in the use of terms, the referencing may be inaccurate or inconsistent, there may be use of inappropriate language

 

 

 

Satisfactory (3,0; 3,5) - there will be a satisfactory use of a limited number of the features outlined for the Excellent essay, but significant elements will be underdeveloped. Thus, for example, a typical Satisfactory essay may display little evidence of independent thought and critical judgement, include a partial and rather superficial coverage of the key issues, lack critical analysis. While some of the elements required of all essays are present, they are not necessarily adequate. The essay may display, for example, a satisfactory grasp of the topic, be relevant to the question, but it may be poorly structured, it may include some waffle (i.e. deploying lots of words without meaning very much), the language may lapse into colloquialism, references may be inadequate and inaccurate.

 

 

 

Unsatisfactory (2,0) - there will be an inadequate use of a significant number of the features outlined for the Excellent essay. A typical Unsatisfactory essay may be characterized by the following: major inaccuracies and omissions, offers unsubstantiated opinion, demonstrates no evidence of critical judgement,  may be badly written, there may be no references, there may be little evidence of reading

Reading list

5. Reading list:

Cities in the World. A New Perspective on Urbanisation. OECD Urban Studies, 2020

https://www.oecd.org/publications/cities-in-the-world-d0efcbda-en.htm

 OECD Principles on Urban Policy, OECD 2019

https://www.oecd.org/cfe/Brochure-OECD-Principles-Urban-Policy.pdf

Cities of tomorrow. Challenges, visions, ways forward.
European Commission, Directorate General for Regional Policy
European Union 2011
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/citiesoftomorrow/citiesoftomorrow_final.pdf

What are future cities? Origins, meanings and uses.
Compiled by The Business of Cities for the Foresight Future of Cities Project and the Future Cities Catapult
Emily Moir, Tim Moonen, Greg Clark June 2014
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/337549/14-820-what-are-future-cities.pdf

The State of European Cities 2016 - Cities leading the way to a better future, European Commission, UN HABITAT, 2016
https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/policy/themes/cities-report/state_eu_cities2016_en.pdf

World Urbanization Prospects. the latest revision

Urban Agenda for the EU. Pact of Amsterdam.
https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/system/files/ged/pact-of-amsterdam_en.pdf

New Leipzig Charter
https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/information/publications/brochures/2020/new-leipzig-charter-the-transformative-power-of-cities-for-the-common-good

New Urban Agenda – HABITAT III
http://habitat3.org/wp-content/uploads/NUA-English.pdf

current literature – info will be provided by the lecturer during the classes